Kyoto Chaos: Rain, Ramen, and Really Weird Neighbors
okay, so like, i’m pretty sure i’m running on caffeine and regret right now. kyoto. it’s… a lot. i just checked and it's...there right now, hope you like that kind of thing. 15.87 degrees feels like 15.63, temp min 15.69, temp max 15.99. the pressure is 1015, humidity’s a sticky 81, sea level’s a solid 1015, and ground level? also 1015. it’s just… consistent. which is unsettling, honestly.
seriously, i landed yesterday and immediately felt like i’d stepped into a watercolor painting that someone spilled ink on. everything’s muted, kinda beautiful, but also… slightly wrong. i’m staying in this tiny guesthouse near Gion - it smells faintly of incense and old wood, which is cool, but also makes me feel like i’m about to be recruited into a secret society. the guy who runs it, Hiroki, keeps offering me pickled plums. i politely declined, like, five times.
first things first: food. i’ve been hitting up every ramen shop i can find. it’s a full-time job. i overheard a group of college students - probably from Osaka, judging by their accents - saying that the best ramen in the area is at ‘Ramen Ichiban’ on Shijo Street. someone told me that they use a secret family recipe for their broth, involving fermented soybeans and something called ‘mountain dew’ (i’m genuinely terrified). i’m going to check it out tomorrow.
and the temples! don’t even get me started. fushimi inari-taisha is insane. like, thousands of red torii gates winding up a mountain. i spent three hours just wandering around, feeling increasingly lost and slightly sweaty. it was… intense. i almost tripped over a monk carrying a giant scroll.
my gear list is a disaster, by the way. i’ve got three different types of rain gear, a portable charger that’s probably dead, and a camera that’s constantly overheating. it’s a beautiful mess.
camera (obviously) - gotta capture the weirdness
rain jacket (multiple)
comfortable shoes (seriously, you’ll walk a lot)
pocket wifi - don’t even think about trying to get data without it
phrasebook - japanese is… a challenge
snacks - ramen only gets you so far
if you get bored, Osaka is just a short drive away. i heard that they have amazing street food and a crazy nightlife.
and the neighbors! the old woman across the street, Mrs. Tanaka, keeps staring at me. i think she thinks i’m a spy. or a particularly confused tourist. she’s got this incredibly judgmental expression, but also, like, a tiny bit of amusement.
seriously, the whole place feels like a slightly surreal dream. i stumbled upon this tiny antique shop today - it was crammed with old kimonos, porcelain dolls, and weird taxidermy. the shopkeeper, a wizened old man named Kenji, kept offering me tea and telling me stories about ghosts. i politely declined the tea, but i did buy a miniature samurai figurine. it’s currently guarding my backpack.
check out this local board for events: https://www.kyotoguide.org/events/ and for some seriously good ramen: https://www.ramenichiban.com/ and if you're looking for a good place to stay, TripAdvisor has some decent options: https://www.tripadvisor.com/.
overall vibe: chaotic, beautiful, slightly unsettling. i’m not sure i fully understand it yet, but i’m definitely enjoying the ride. i’m thinking of checking out Arashiyama Bamboo Grove tomorrow - it’s supposed to be breathtaking. wish me luck. and maybe send more ramen.